Yesterday,
and I hosted a live session with , Partner at a16z speedrun. It was one of the most engaging conversations we’ve had — over 700 people joined live, and instead of dropping off, the number of viewers kept climbing as the hour went on.a16z speedrun is Andreessen Horowitz’s startup accelerator. It invests at the pre-seed and seed stage, gives up to $1M plus $5M in credits (including AI compute), runs an intense 12-week program, and culminates in a Demo Day in San Francisco with more than 1,000 top investors in the room.
For founders, Speedrun is one of the most coveted programs in the world. The bar is high, the batches are small (around 60–70 startups), and the outcomes are already remarkable. We’ve seen companies enter with little more than a prototype and leave with millions in ARR and full seed rounds raised before Demo Day.
Here are some of the most important takeaways from our conversation with Ryan:
How the Program Works
Length: 12 weeks, in-person in San Francisco.
Funding: $500k upfront for 10%, plus guaranteed pro-rata participation in your next round.
Credits: $5M+ across AI, cloud, and infra providers.
Batch size: ~65 startups.
Demo Day: Founders get two minutes on stage in SF, presenting to over 1,000 investors.
Who Should Apply
Stage: Pre-seed or seed. Too late if you’ve already raised a Series A.
Traction: A product with some early users helps, but teams with only an idea and a “crack” founding team have also been accepted.
Global founders welcome: Anyone in the world can apply. a16z speedrun helps with visas so founders can attend in person.
What speedrun Looks For
highlighted the three big signals that get founders in:Traction (the single strongest signal).
Team (world-class experience or a “cracked” combination of skills).
Relevance of experience (deep domain expertise matters more than a FAANG logo).
Solo founders are accepted, but having strong co-founders is a clear advantage.
Why Join Beyond Capital
Ryan was blunt: capital is a commodity. What Speedrun offers is unfair advantages — introductions to big customers, access to world-class talent, connections to the A16Z network, and the kind of credibility that changes how investors view your company.
The founders we’ve spoken to consistently say the community is the biggest value-add: you’re building alongside other high-caliber founders who push you harder and faster.
Deadlines and Applications
Applications are open now at speedrun.a16z.com
Deadline: Sunday (09|25|2026) at midnight PT.
Next cohort: Starts in January, runs 12 weeks in San Francisco.
Why This Matters
and I attended Progress Day a few weeks ago, where founders practice their pitches halfway through the program in front of A16Z partners like and . The quality was staggering: serial entrepreneurs, young builders, and even companies already doing $2–2.5M ARR in record time.It’s no exaggeration to say a16z speedrun is shaping up to be one of the most important launchpads in tech.
A Personal Note
Recently, I was selected as a scout for a16z speedrun. That means I can invest $10k at pre-seed in startups I believe have the potential to enter the program. If you’re building something bold and think a16z speedrun could be the right path, reach out. I can wire money in 48 hours and help you get into the program with some tips and a referral.
What should you do now?
👉 Watch the full live with
at the top of this article👉 Apply to a16z speedrun before Sunday at midnight, and let me know in the comments
And if you’re a founder thinking about your next move, ask yourself: what would it mean to build with one of the best accelerators in the world at your back?
🛠️Startup resources yoy may find helpful:
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